Witkoff, a real estate investor and Trump campaign donor with business ties to Qatar and other Gulf states, was in the region to oversee implementation of a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza on Wednesday, then met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the Gaza ceasefire and a regional diplomatic push.

Steve Witkoff visited the enclave to oversee the implementation of a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

This trip comes as negotiations for the second phase of the truce between Israel and Hamas are set to begin, with the US envoy to the Middle East expressing optimism going forward

Trump sent Witkoff to ensure the ceasefire agreement advances to the second phase, which will require hashing out more thorny questions about Gaza’s future.

Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff becomes the first U.S. official to visit Gaza in more than a decade, ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.